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Latest News from the Seat of War: Bernal

A Herald correspondent telegraphs from Havana, via Key West, which means that the letter was sent by private conveyance to a wire that is not subjected to Spanish censorship. "Generals Pando and Bernal will leave for Spain on the next steamer. General Bernal is very angry at the report made by General Weyler about General Suarez Inclan's recent fight with Maceo's troops in Pinar del Rio province. He says it was impossible for him to join Inclan's forces in the time specified, and he objects to being made a scapegoat. "Bernal had angry words with Weyler, and declared his intention to go to Spain at once. General Weyler tried to dissuade him. Report says that Bernal told his superior if he were not the captain-general he would have to fight a duel. It is said Bernal intends to force Weyler to fight when the captain-general returns to Spain. Bernal is a leader of the republicans in Barcelona, and the government prefers to have him in the field than at home." The Journal has this from Frederick M. Lawrence--his last despatch from the seat of war--as he was compelled to leave the Island, as two more correspondents, Mr. Creelman, of the World, and Mr. Lawrence, have been expelled from Havana for "calumniating the Spaniards," the inevitable offense of violating Weyler's newspaper articles placing handcuffs on the press: "General Bernal felt that Weyler had removed him from the command of the column in Pinar del Rio through feelings of personal enmity, and had used the alleged failure of Bernal to take his column to the assistance of General Inclan at the battle of Cacarajicara as a pretext for paying up an old score. "The enmity between the men goes back to the days when both were fighting for preference in Spain. Bernal was instrumental in keeping Weyler from attaining higher honors than he has reached, and Weyler has never forgiven him. "It is supposed that General Inclan was jealous of Bernal's superior military ability, and knowing Weyler's hatred, concocted the plan whereby it was to appear that Bernal was remiss in his duty at Cacarajicara with the intention of giving Weyler an opportunity to remove Bernal from his command. "Inclan's plan worked well. He reported Bernal's failure to Weyler, and the captain-general lost no time in humiliating Bernal. "Weyler sent a heliograph order to Bernal to report immediately in Havana. Bernal evidently guessed what was in store for him, for upon his arrival in Havana he changed his military uniform for the dress of a private citizen. In this garb Bernal went to the palace. He was received with every outward show of courtesy by Weyler, and two orderlies, who were conversing with Weyler, were asked to step aside, and they retired to a corner of the room out of reach. "Weyler then asked Bernal why he appeared before his superior in civilian garb. Bernal's answer was: "I expect in a few minutes to have no use for my uniform, and desired to save myself the inconvenience of changing my dress later on.' "Weyler then requested Bernal to give his version of the failure of the battle of Cacarajicara. What Bernal told is not known. "What is known is that General Bernal, at the end of a few minutes, arose from his chair and said: "I understand then that I am to return to Spain and am no longer your subordinate officer.' "At the same time General Weyler arose and replied: `That is my order.' "Bernal took one step backward, folded his arms and looked Weyler square in the eyes. "`If that is the case we meet on level ground, and I desire to inform you that in your conduct of the war you have shown yourself to be nothing less than a traitor to your country. If Cuba is lost to Spain, it will be because of your misconduct, and whether it was through ignorance or design, it was none the less treason. Permit me also to say that my personal estimation of you is that you are a liar and a poltroon.' "Weyler was white with rage. His orderlies, who heard what Bernal had said, when, through anger, he raised his voice, started up from their seats and hurried across the room. "They saw Weyler draw his arm back as though to strike Bernal, but the general was too quick for him. "Bernal raised his hand, and disdaining to strike with his clinched fist, he delivered a stinging smack with the palm of his right hand upon Weyler's left cheek. "The captain-general staggered back, but recovered himself instantly and sprang at Bernal. He seized the younger general by the throat, and so savage was the attack that Bernal was forced half way across the room. By this time the orderlies had seized Bernal, and with a jerk they tore him from Weyler's grasp. "The captain-general recovered his senses instantly and waved his arm to Bernal. He told the orderlies to take him away. The orderlies started from the room, and Weyler walked back to his desk. "Before Bernal and his custodians had reached the door, Weyler commanded them to stop. He then ordered the two officers to retire again out of earshot, and, walking up to Bernal, Weyler stood in front of him with arms folded, his whole body trembling with emotion, and for fully a minute the two men glared into each other's eyes. "General Weyler said something in a low tone to Bernal, who was heard to reply: "`In Spain, sir, I shall be very happy to grant the favor you ask.' "General Weyler returned to his desk, beside which he stood for a moment, looking at Bernal, and then he made a profound bow. In return Bernal bowed very low. "`Is this interview at an end? Have I your permission to retire?' asked Bernal. "`You may retire, sir,' said General Weyler. `I have nothing more to say.' "Again the two men bowed very low, and Bernal left the room. He went straightway from the palace, and Weyler has not seen him since." There is a certain verisimilitude about this that, supported by consistency at all points with the known facts, is convincing that there is substantial accuracy in the statement. The personal quarrel develops public facts. It displays that the inside Spanish view of the battle of Cacarajicara was a defeat of the Spanish troops, and not the victory of the official proclamations. It was a defeat of the Spanish at their sore point, it being the first serious effort made by the captain-general to use his celebrated trocha as a guard for offensive operations. The Spanish, with the sea at their disposition and a line drawn across the Island, have Maceo surrounded in theory, and the test of possession was made in hurrying converging columns to capture the insurgents' stronghold in the mountains. If Maceo would not attack the trocha, why the trocha must attack him, and the result was the combat from which the Spaniards retired sorely harrassed with heavy losses, and meriting, as their commander said in his official report, "one of the best pages in Spanish history." There were two circumstances especially obnoxious to the captain-general. One was, Maceo himself was not in the fight, but six miles away, and rebel success was won by a subordinate. There was a sting in this that struck deep and rankled. The other provoking point was, that the Spanish column that was ordered to support the one that suffered heavily, was not on time, and certainly there could be nothing better calculated to provoke the fierce resentment of the commander-in-chief, and indeed to justify it entirely. Whether he picked up the right man for a victim, or selected one according to his personal proclivities, we have not testimony for decision. There is other evidence that the Spaniards were hurt in their venture into the mountains occupied by Maceo. They have not--if they had the successes they claim--followed them up, but have lingered about their block houses and along the ditches. The Cacarajicara affair seems to have revealed a fatal flaw in the Spanish system, to have exposed its deficiency, and it may be even as grave as a condition of demoralization that results in tardiness and insubordination. That Weyler has many enemies in the Spanish army there is no question. Mutterings were heard early in March when he cleared the high officers from their comforts in the hotels of Havana and forced them to the field. Some of them may find no more handy method of doing the business of malice than personally seeing to it that the military combinations shall, at their most critical stage, fail of success--and there is no way so easy to manage this as by the contrivance of delays.